


Seventeen Months

by thenewkids17



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-10
Updated: 2017-01-30
Packaged: 2018-09-02 18:46:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8679220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thenewkids17/pseuds/thenewkids17
Summary: Tobin Heath and Christen Press are two players for the Portland Thorns. They've always been close friends, but now that they live in the same city and play for the same team, their friendship develops into something more.





	1. First Kiss

**Author's Note:**

> This is my second fanfic, and first one about Preath! Sorry about not finishing my first one about Talex...it's honestly because I stopped shipping Tobin and Alex and started shipping Tobin and Press. Let me know what you think in the comments!

**May 29, 2017**

 

****Tobin and Allie’s Apartment in Portland****

“Tobin…Tobin!!” Allie yells at the cozy figure in bed.

“Let me sleep,” Tobin grunts, still face first in her pillow.

“I will not let you sleep. It’s game day and your birthday and we have to meet Kling and Christen for brunch in a half hour!”

At the mention of Christen’s name, Tobin shudders under the blankets. Noticing her best friend’s reaction, Allie decides to take a different approach.

“Harry, are you still upset about last night?” Allie asks in a concerned tone, sitting down on the bed next to Tobin.

Acknowledging that she can’t stay asleep forever, Tobin flips onto her back to face her housemate and replies, “Of course I’m still upset about last night. Who the fuck says that, especially to a teammate?”

“Well…you,” Allie answers, hoping to lighten the mood a bit. Tobin’s expression morphs into a scowl.

Attempting to retrace her steps, Allie offers, “Sorry. But it really wasn’t that bad. Plus, the whole team was drunk, including Christen. She probably didn’t even hear what you said.”

“Yeah, Al. I’m sure she missed it when I literally blurted in her face, ‘We should kiss sometime’.” Tobin throws her arms over her face and groans. “Why am I such an idiot?”

“Tobs, you’re not an idiot. You just have a crush.” Allie reassures the midfielder. “And if I’m being honest, I don’t think you’re the only one. There’s definitely been some…tension between you and Christen since she joined the Thorns.” Allie winks at Tobin and stands up.

Tobin rolls her eyes and rolls herself out of bed to get dressed, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

 

****Christen and Meghan’s Apartment in Portland (Right below Tobin and Allie’s)****

“Press, wake up! We have to meet Allie and Tobin in thirty minutes!” Kling yells as she stomps into Christen’s bedroom.

“How is it already 10:30?” Christen protests, jumping out of bed frantically.

“Chris, chill,” Kling suggests, noticing how frazzled Christen seems. “What’s up?”

“Sorry, I just…” Christen considers for a minute, “I, uh, I just don’t want to be late.”

Kling gives Christen a suspicious look. “Uh huh, right. You sure that’s it? This doesn't have anything to do with a certain teammate, does it?”

Christen turns to face Kling, her face slightly red. “What are you talking about?”

“Chris, come on. You can talk to me,” Kling urges, putting an arm on Christen’s shoulder.

“It’s not a big deal,” Christen says with a sigh, “I just feel bad that I didn't say anything.”

“After Tobin expressed her unconditional love for you, you mean?” Kling says with a chuckle.

“You said I could talk to you, Kling. Don’t make me regret taking you up on it,” Christen asserts, shooting a glare at her friend.

“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Kling apologizes. “Do you think she actually meant it when she said she wanted to kiss you?”

“I have no idea. Probably not,” Christen answers with a tinge of disappointment in her voice. “I just wish I had said something, but I was so caught off guard. I doubt she even wants to see me right now.”

“I don’t know if it’s even possible for Tobin not to want to see you, Press. You guys are like magnets for each other,” Kling notes, trying to reassure her teammate.

“Oh my god!” Christen suddenly gasps, wide-eyed. “It’s Tobin’s birthday! I totally forgot. I didn’t even get her anything. I officially suck.”

“Ooh, I know what you could get her,” Kling comments with a smirk.

“What?!” Christen begs, oblivious of Kling’s tone.

“You can give her that kiss she asked for.”

“Good one, Kling,” Christen scoffs, secretly smiling to herself. “The least we can do is be on time to brunch, though. You ready to go?”

“Yep,” Kling responds, following Christen out the door.

* * *

At 11:07, Tobin and Allie arrive at The Daily Feast, a breakfast spot a few blocks away from Providence Park and find Christen and Meghan sitting down at a table outside.

“Sorry we’re late,” Allie apologizes, taking a seat next to Meghan. “The birthday girl decided to sleep in.”

“No worries. This one was passed out too,” Kling says, motioning across the table toward Christen. “Happy birthday, Tobs!”

“Thanks,” Tobin replies shyly, tentatively taking a seat next to Christen.

“Happy birthday,” Christen echoes with a shy smile, quickly making eye contact with Tobin.

Tobin smiles and nods her head in acknowledgment.

Breaking the silence, a waitress comes over to the table. “Hello, my name is Lyla. I’ll be your waiter today. What can I get for you?”

“I’ll take the Greek Yogurt Parfait,” Kling says with a smile.

“I’m gonna get the Eggs Benedict,” Allie declares.

“Hmm, I think I’ll try the Veggie Scramble,” Christen says.

“Can I get the Chocolate Chip Pancakes?” Tobin asks with a grin.

“Of course. I’ll have that out for you guys soon,” Lyla says, collecting the menus from the table.

“Chocolate chip pancakes? Nice, Harry” Allie jokes, smiling at Tobin.

“By far the best breakfast food,” Tobin defends confidently, stretching her arm around Christen’s chair out of habit. Immediately, she retracts her arm, remembering the events of last night.

Christen looks down dejectedly, wishing the whole situation had never happened.

“Um, I’m gonna go to the bathroom, be right back,” Tobin mumbles, standing up.

 

After Tobin disappears inside the restaurant, Christen looks at Allie and questions, “Is she okay? Did she say anything to you about last night?”

“She’s fine, just a bit regretful,” Allie offers with a shrug. “She thinks she screwed up your friendship.”

“She thinks she ruined our friendship?!” Christen marvels. “Oh Tobin…I’m the one who should feel bad. I didn’t say anything afterward. I know she didn’t mean what she said anyway. She had a lot to drink,” Christen adds, glancing at Allie to gauge her reaction.

“Well, I don’t know about that,” Allie says sheepishly, with a look at Kling, who is looking to the side with a crooked smile.

“What?” Christen snaps, looking back and forth between her two teammates.

“Nothing,” Kling says, shaking her head. “It’s just that…you know, Tobin’s not the kind of person who would say something like that if she didn’t, at least in some way, mean it.”

Before Christen has a chance to respond, Tobin approaches from inside.

 

“Did you miss me?” Tobin jokes, sitting back down.

“So much,” Allie professes, reaching across the table to grasp Tobin’s arm. Kling rolls her eyes.

“So, are you guys excited for the game?” Christen asks, focusing her attention on something other than the previous night’s awkward incident.

“Pumped, as always,” Tobin exclaims with a grin. “Always good to play at home.”

“Yeah, there’s no crowd like a Portland crowd,” Kling agrees.

“I can’t wait!” Christen says excitedly. “I’m nervous though. This will be the first time playing at Providence that the fans will actually be cheering for me.”

“Man, I wish I could relive my first time. It was magical,” Tobin reminisces, earning her smirks from Allie and Kling and a blush from Christen.

“Oh come on!” Tobin whines, letting out a laugh, “You know what I meant.”

 

The waiter returns with their food, and the four players talk, laugh, and eat for another forty-five minutes, and then make their way to the field to meet with the coach and the rest of their team for a meeting before the game.

* * *

 

It's halftime and the Thorns are up 1-0 against Sky Blue, thanks to a goal by Christine Sinclair. The players take the field again, and the referee blows her whistle to signal the start of the second half. For the first ten minutes, Portland controls the ball well and creates a few good chances in the attacking third, but fails to convert anything. In the 57th minute, however, a Tasha Kai goal, off of a beautiful through ball from Kelley O’Hara, gives Sky Blue the equalizer.

 

For the next twenty-five minutes, the score remains unchanged. Tobin almost scores off a counterattack in the 80th minute, but Caroline Casey leaps to the left to make a terrific save. Christen looks over and notices Tobin curse under her breath after her shot, wishing there was something she could do to make her teammate feel better on her birthday.

 

Seven minutes later, with three minutes left of regular time, Kling makes a beautiful tackle in Portland's defending third to gain possession. She passes to Allie, who runs upfield, looking for an outlet. Out of nowhere, Christen comes sprinting along the right side of the field, calling for the ball. Allie fakes out a defender and slides a perfect ball to Christen, who takes three touches and fires a shot from just outside the eighteen past Casey into the upper right corner of the net, giving the Thorns a 2-1 lead.

 

The crowd erupts as red smoke rises behind Sky Blue’s goal. Christen gives Allie a thumbs up and jumps into the air as her teammates run over to celebrate. Instead of melting into the group hug, however, Christen finds Tobin standing just outside the eighteen with a huge smile on her face. Free of any inhibitions, the forward sprints toward the midfielder and grabs the back of Tobin's neck, pressing their lips together, shocking all 17,000 people in the stadium, including Tobin. It's as if the world stops, and there is only the two of them standing on that field. 

 

Eventually, Christen pulls away, gazing into the beautiful brown eyes in front of her. "Happy birthday, Tobin," she says with an honest smile before jogging back to her position on the field. Tobin stands there for several more moments, awestruck, before stumbling back to midfield.

 

After five more minutes of play, including two minutes of stoppage time, the game ends. The final score is 2-1. As the players high five and walk to their respective benches, Tobin and Christen lock eyes and smile, both knowing they have shared a moment neither of them will forget.


	2. Consequences

**** The next morning, Christen wakes up to the sound of someone banging on her front door. Before she can get up to answer the obnoxious knocking, Kling bolts out of her room and rushes over to the door, cracking it slightly and sticking her head out.

“Oh, hi Mark,” Kling says awkwardly, not planning on interacting with her coach while in her pajamas.

“Hello Meghan,” Mark states flatly. “Is Christen here?”

Meghan turns her head inside and sees Christen standing against her bedroom doorway shaking her head. “Um, actually, she’s in the shower right now,” Kling answers, turning back around to face Mark. 

“Well, when she’s done, tell her to come meet me outside the building. I need to have a word with her,” Mark says sharply.

“Yeah, okay. Will do, coach. Uh, see you later,” Kling mutters, closing the door and walking over to Christen.

“What was that about?” Christen inquires nervously, crossing her arms over her chest.

“I have no idea,” Kling responds, “But coach wants you to meet him outside ASAP.”

“Fuck, you don’t think this is because of, you know, uh, the kiss, do you?” Christen frets, scrambling to her dresser to put on jeans and a hoodie.

“Could be,” Kling acknowledges with a sympathetic smile. “I mean, I’m sure the press is all over it. No pun intended.”

Throwing Kling a glare, Christen clenches her jaw and groans. “Ugh, why do I get myself into these situations?” 

“Don’t beat yourself up about it, Chris,” Kling reassures her friend, rubbing her back. “You just got caught up in the moment. For what it’s worth, I think you and Tobin would make a pretty great couple.”

“Thanks, Kling, but I have a feeling that’s not going to work out,” Christen laments, hugging the defender before heading out to meet her coach.

“Good luck!” Kling yells after the forward as she closes the door to their apartment.

 

As Christen makes her way outside, a million thoughts run through her head. Why did she kiss Tobin? Does she regret it or not? Is she attracted to Tobin? Will she be benched because of this? Is Mark pissed? Of course he is. _You just got here and you already managed to fuck things up_ , Christen scolds herself. But before she is able to punish herself too much, Christen sees Mark standing on the sidewalk outside of the apartment complex. Taking a deep breath, she makes her way over to her new coach. 

“Hi Mark,” Christen says hesitantly. “Kling said you wanted to speak with me.”

“Hello Christen. Yes, we need to talk about what happened at yesterday’s match,” Mark declares, not wasting any time. Christen bites her lip nervously.

“First, I just want to make it clear that I have absolutely nothing against the LGBTQ+ community. You and Tobin are both adults and it is none of my business what you do off the field.”

Christen, slightly red-faced, breathes a sigh of relief and nods her head.

“However,” Mark continues, “I do care about what you choose to do when you are on the field. And what you did yesterday was unacceptable. Because of that kiss, the media is going absolutely crazy. I’ve already received 27 calls this morning from reporters asking about you and Tobin. My job is to coach a professional soccer team, not answer questions about player relationships.”

“I’m so sorry, Mark,” Christen confesses, “I didn't mean for this to happen, but I can promise that it will not happen again.”

Mark contemplates for a moment and then says, “I could easily bench you for this you know.”

“Of course, I understand—,” Christen starts.

“I _could_ bench you,” Mark cuts her off. “But I’m not going to do that.”

A wave of relief rushes over Christen’s face. 

“Look, Press. You’re one of the best forwards out there, and that goal you scored yesterday gave us the win. You are an asset to this team, and it wouldn’t be fair for me to bench you. You made a mistake, and that’s that. Let’s put what happened yesterday behind us and focus on preparing for Orlando next week.”

Overwhelmed, Christen hugs her coach. “Thank you so much. I will not disappoint you, on or off the field.”

Mark gives a small smile and offers, “I know you won’t Christen. See you at practice.”

“See you then,” Christen returns with a grin, turning to head back to her apartment. 

* * *

“How did it go?” Kling asks nervously as Christen enters the apartment.

“Much better than I thought,” Christen replies, relieved. “He was obviously upset about the kiss, but he’s not going to bench me or anything. I just have to make sure that doesn’t happen in front of thousands of people again.”

“Girl, you are lucky,” Kling sings. “Although it might be harder than you think to keep your cool.”

“What do you mean?” Christen asks with concern.

“Speaking from a purely observational standpoint, Tobin’s pretty sexy when she’s on the field. You might have a tough time keeping your paws off is all I’m saying,” Kling shrugs her shoulders and smirks at Christen. 

Christen laughs and nudges her friend in the stomach, rolling her eyes.

* * *

 Meanwhile, upstairs, the wheels are turning in Tobin’s head.

“Okay okay, but do you think it really meant something? Maybe I was just the first person she saw and she got excited,” Tobin pesters Allie, who had been listening to Tobin go back and forth about the kiss all morning. 

“For the last time, Tobin, go ask Christen yourself. You already know what I think—that you are both into each other but neither of you is brave enough to admit it,” Allie recites with an eye roll. “I love you, Harry, but you overthink things way too much.”

Tobin opens her mouth to speak and then decides against it. Instead, to Allie’s surprise, she stands up from the couch, slides on a pair of flip flops, puts on her PDX snapback, straightens her TWLOHA muscle tee, and silently walks out the door. 

About a minute later, Tobin arrives at Christen and Kling’s apartment downstairs. She hesitates a moment before knocking on the door.

After a few seconds, Christen opens the door and looks at Tobin with a surprised expression.

“Oh, hi Tobin. What’s up?” Christen asks, attempting to appear nonchalant. 

“Uh, well, I kinda have something to ask you,” the midfielder stutters, meeting Christen’s gaze. “Would you maybe want to go on a date sometime? With me I mean.” _Wow, real smooth Tobin_ , she thinks to herself.

Christen bites her lip nervously and hesitates.

“Like, you totally don’t need to say yes, I just thought, maybe, since you kissed me and stuff—,” Tobin tries to retrace her steps. 

“No no, I want to,” Christen assures the nervous train wreck standing in her doorway. “It’s just that, this morning, Mark came to talk to me about what happened yesterday so I just have to be super careful about mixing my personal life with soccer.”

Tobin gives a disappointed nod. “It’s alright, I understand. See you at practice.” As she turns to head back upstairs, a hand grabs her shoulder.

“Hey wait,” Christen says with a smile. “I just said I need to be careful. I never said no.”

Tobin spins around. “So is that a yes then?”

“Yes,” Christen replies, a glimmer in her eye. 

“How’s Friday night?” Tobin asks.

“Perfect.”

“It’s a date then,” Tobin confirms proudly.

“Can’t wait,” Christen affirms with a huge grin.

Tobin turns and walks back to her apartment, a goofy smile on her face the entire time.

* * *

 On Friday morning, Tobin wakes up and notices a notification on her phone. Upon seeing that it’s a text from Christen, she smiles crookedly. The message reads:

_So what should I expect for our date tonight?_

_It’s a surprise ;) Just bring a jacket and comfortable shoes. I’ll handle the rest_ is Tobin’s reply.

Tobin had stayed up late the previous night bouncing ideas off of Kling and had come to the consensus that she would pick up some bread, cheese, wine, and dessert beforehand and then take Christen on a short hike to the top of Mt. Tabor where they would have a picnic and watch the sunset over Portland. As she sits up in her bed, Tobin feels a sense of joy pour over her as she thinks about the evening she has planned with Christen.

* * *

 During a scrimmage at practice later in the day, Tobin and Christen both play incredibly. They are each on top of their game and are connecting especially well with each other. The two footballers fall into a rhythm with one another as they create several give-and-go’s and Tobin notches an assist on a goal by Christen. 

“Damn Tobs, what did you have for breakfast this morning?” Kling asks her friend as they walk in front of Christen and Allie back to their apartments. “You killed it today.”

“I just have a lot of energy I guess. And I’m pretty excited for tonight,” Tobin confides in her close friend. 

“I’m so happy for you, dude. You’ll have to tell me all about it tomorrow,” Kling demands, patting the midfielder on the back.

“I guess I don’t really have a choice in the matter, anyway,” Tobin sighs with a sideways glance at Kling. 

“You really don’t,” Kling confirms with a smug smile.

* * *

 At 6:17 P.M., Tobin gets back to her apartment after buying picnic materials at the grocery store. She piles the food and wine into a backpack along with a blanket and walks over to her dresser to change. After careful deliberation, she decides to go with a pair of tight black jeans, a white v neck, and a black leather jacket. She then walks into the living room with her backpack, where Allie is sitting on the couch watching TV. 

“Wish me luck, Al,” Tobin urges, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

“Damn, Tobin. You look sexy as hell,” Allie exclaims as she turns her head to face her housemate.

“Thanks,” Tobin replies with a wink.

“Have a great time tonight. You deserve it,” Allie says with a genuine smile.

Tobin returns the smile and heads to the door.

 

Christen, meanwhile, is eagerly awaiting Tobin’s arrival. Not having a clue what the date will entail, all she can do is hope that Tobin doesn’t have something too crazy in mind. 

“You sure she didn’t tell you what she planned?” Christen asks Kling for the third time.

“Chris, relax. It’ll be fun,” Kling offers, dodging the question as to not reveal Tobin’s romantic evening. 

Before Christen can ask for a fourth time, there’s a knock at the door. Christen walks over and opens the door to find Tobin standing with a subtle grin that quickly turns into a jaw-drop.

“You look beautiful,” Tobin musters as she takes in the view in front of her. Christen is wearing a black v-neck dress with boots and a leather jacket of her own, and her hair, slightly wavy, is pushed to one side. 

“Thanks,” Christen accepts humbly, moving her eyes up Tobin’s body. “You don’t look too bad yourself.”

The corners of Tobin’s mouth curl into a smile. “You ready?”

“Yep!” Christen replies as she waves goodbye to Kling. 

“Later Kling,” Tobin waves to her friend. 

“Have fun you two,” the defender teases as Christen and Tobin head out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you guys think so far! I'll try to update about once a week or so.


	3. The Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took awhile...I've been traveling a lot lately. Enjoy!

Tobin and Christen walk outside in silence, each basking in the presence of the other. When they reach the curb, Tobin opens the passenger door of her black Audi sedan for Christen and walks around the front of the car to get into the driver’s seat. Tobin starts the car, puts on some soft acoustic music, and turns to face her date. 

“I’m excited for this,” Tobin admits with a grin, placing a hand on Christen’s thigh. 

“Me too,” Christen answers, covering Tobin’s hand with her own, “Whatever ‘this’ is.”

Tobin smirks and drives out onto the street, toward Mt. Tabor. 

“So, how do you like living in Portland so far?” Tobin asks Christen as they drive through downtown.

“Honestly, I love it,” Christen replies enthusiastically. “The environment here is something I’ve never seen before. It seems like the whole city comes out to watch us play. And the team is great.”

“I’m glad you’re happy here,” Tobin says with a smile. “When you first told me you were going to be playing on the Thorns, I didn’t stop smiling for like fifteen minutes.”

Christen gives Tobin a doubtful glance.

“I’m serious!” Tobin exclaims with a chuckle, “Just ask Allie. She was there when you called. She gave me crap about it for days.”

Christen smiles to herself and then says, “You know, you were the first person I called. What’s funny is that I didn’t even think about it. Right after I got off the phone with my coach I immediately dialed your number.”

Tobin stares ahead with a crooked smile, desperately wishing she could take her eyes off the road to gaze at the woman sitting next to her. 

The two footballers sit in silence for the remainder of the car ride, listening to a mixture of Jack Johnson, Sara Bareilles, and Gavin DeGraw.

* * *

 “Alright, we’re here,” Tobin proclaims as she pulls over to the side of the road at the entrance to Mt. Tabor Park. 

“Leave it to Tobin to choose a hike as a first date,” Christen teases with a laugh.

“It’s not just a hike,” Tobin retorts with a proud smile, grabbing her backpack. “I have something else up my sleeve.”

“Well I look forward to finding out what that is,” Christen responds flirtatiously.

Tobin and Christen get out of the car and start walking up a dirt trail.

After a few minutes of hiking, Tobin mutters, “Hey Chris, did you know I liked you before the other night?”

Christen’s lips curl upwards as she replies. “I wouldn’t say I knew. It was more like hoping you liked me.”

“Really?” Tobin asks, surprised. 

“Yeah,” Christen shakes her head. “I’ve kind of had a crush on you since the World Cup.”

“Well damn,” Tobin sighs. “That’s a lot of time wasted considering I’ve been into you for almost as long.” The two of them laugh and continue their hike.

When they reach the top of the trail, Christen’s jaw drops as she realizes the view in front of her.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” the forward gasps, scanning the city scape in front of her.

“It really is,” Tobin agrees, her eyes on a certain person rather than the horizon.

Noticing the direction of Tobin’s gaze out of the corner of her eye, Christen blushes and takes Tobin’s hand in hers. 

“Thank you for bringing me here, Tobin,” she says earnestly.

“Of course,” Tobin says softly. “I hope you’re okay with staying here for awhile, because I brought wine.” Tobin grins and carefully removes the contents of her backpack and sets the blanket down on the grass, overlooking the Portland sunset. 

Christen tilts her head back and smiles. “Thank god, wine sounds amazing right now.”

Tobin lets out a laugh and takes a seat on the blanket, motioning for Christen to join her.

Christen sits down next to Tobin and leans her head on the midfielder’s shoulder. Tobin smiles and pours a glass of wine for each of them, careful not to move too much.

“How does this feel so right and so comfortable when it’s only our first date?” Christen thinks aloud, sipping her wine.

“Because we were best friends first,” Tobin says contentedly. “All those nights we spent with the national team, watching movies till 3am in our hotel rooms, cuddling on the bus rides—it feels like we’ve been together for longer.”

They both reminisce for a moment, just happy to be in the company of the other.

“So what’s it like living with Kling?” Tobin asks with a smirk after a minute or so.

Christen grins and replies, “It’s really fun. She’s been such a great friend to me ever since we played for Tyresö together. I can’t believe I get to play on a club team with you two, Allie, Lindsey, and Sonnett.”

“We’re pretty stacked,” Tobin declares with a smile. “And yeah, I love Kling. Ever since she joined the Thorns last season we’ve been really close.”

“Do you think her and Brittany are ever gonna get together?” Christen inquires.

“Who knows? But they would be cute as hell if they did,” Tobin exclaims. “Soccer players make good girlfriends for each other.”

At that last part, Christen raises an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? You think so?”

“Absolutely,” Tobin replies confidently.

“Hmm” Christen hums with a smile.

 

For the next half hour or so, Tobin and Christen eat and talk about soccer, friends, and funny memories they’ve shared on the USWNT. 

“Want to lie down and watch the stars for a bit?” Christen asks once it’s gotten pretty dark. 

“Yeah,” Tobin says with a smile.

The two women lie down next to each other on the blanket and stare up at the starry sky in silence. After a moment, Tobin readjusts herself so that she lies perpendicular to Christen, with her head resting on the younger woman’s stomach. Christen smiles and slowly runs her hand through Tobin’s soft, light brown hair. Tobin lets out a deep breath.

“That feels so good.”

Christen smiles and continues massaging Tobin’s hair.

“Can we stay like this forever?” Tobin asks rhetorically.

“Fine by me,” Christen chimes in approval.

 

After hours of lying in the grass gazing at the stars, Christen sits up and nudges Tobin.

“Tobs, we should probably head back.” Tobin grumbles and sits up as well.

“Yeah okay, just one more thing,” Tobin says softly, leaning in toward Christen. The midfielder slowly kisses the forward and rocks their lips back and forth. Christen kisses back once and then hesitates before pulling away. Tobin gives her a slightly confused expression.

“I want to, Tobin. I just think we should take things slow at first,” Christen assures her date with an attempted smile.

Tobin nods her head in understanding and then stands up and offers her hand to Christen. “Ready to go?”

“Sure,” Christen replies, using Tobin’s hand to help herself up.

 

The walk back to the car is fairly quiet as both women mull the night over in their heads. Once they reach the car, Tobin again opens the passenger door for Christen and walks around to the driver’s seat. Christen smiles at this subtle but kind act that Tobin does without even thinking. 

 

Tobin drives them through the city, blasting music with the windows rolled down. As they pass over the Willamette River, both women sing along to _Party in the USA_ , a USWNT classic. While Tobin watches the road, Christen watches Tobin, wondering how she got lucky enough to end up on a date with the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Thank you for asking me out!” Christen shouts over the music. “I had a really nice night!”

Tobin glances at Christen for a moment and smiles. “Thank you for saying yes!”

The rest of the drive is lighthearted and simple, filled with off-key singing and laughter.

They finally arrive back at their apartment building in NW Portland a few minutes after midnight. Christen steps out of the car and waits for Tobin, who locks the car and casually walks up next to Christen and takes her hand in her own, interlocking their fingers. 

“Let’s do this again sometime,” Tobin says with a smile as she leads Christen up the stairs to her and Kling’s apartment.

 

When the two reach Christen’s apartment, Christen turns to face Tobin.

“You know what you said about soccer players making good girlfriends?” Christen asks with a raised eyebrow and crooked smile.

“Uh huh,” Tobin nods, a smile creeping across her own lips. 

“Well, I was thinking,” Christen says as she takes Tobin’s hands in her own, “Will you be my girlfriend, Tobin?” 

“I would love to,” Tobin answers with a toothy grin.

Christen smiles and leans in to kiss Tobin’s lips, but Tobin turns and kisses Christen softly on the cheek instead. Christen gives a confused smile.

“We’re taking it slow, right?” Tobin says with a wink.


	4. Going Public...Or Not

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everybody had a good Christmas/is having a good Hanukkah/is living a good life. Here's the next chapter! Hope ya like it :)

On Monday morning, the team is on a plane headed to Orlando for their game against the Pride on Wednesday. Allie and Christen are sitting next to each other two rows behind Tobin and Kling. 

“I heard your date went well Friday,” Allie says, nudging Christen lightly in the arm.

“Yeah, it did,” Christen replies with a smile. “It was really nice just being together away from practice and the team.”

“Tobin couldn’t stop smiling when she got back to our apartment. Honestly, it was kind of annoying,” Allie admits with a laugh. Christen smiles at this.

“So, are you two going to keep things private or tell the team what’s going on?” Allie inquires curiously.

“We haven’t really talked about it much,” Christen responds, “But I assume we’ll tell people. I don’t really think we need to act like we aren’t dating.” 

Allie nods in understanding. 

 

Meanwhile, a couple rows ahead, Kling and Tobin are twenty minutes deep into an intense game of Speed. 

“Ahh, not again!” Tobin whines as Kling wins her third straight round. “This deck is rigged.”

“Yeah right!” Kling retorts with a grin. “You just can’t handle losing.”

“Whatever,” Tobin concedes with an eye roll. “I’m still better at lip syncing than you are.”

Kling’s smile quickly fades. “That’s a low blow, Toby. We agreed to never talk about that again.”

“Sorry, man. Had to hit you where it hurts,” Tobin says with a smirk.

* * *

The team arrives at their hotel in Orlando at 8:30pm after stopping for dinner downtown. 

“Okay everyone,” Mark addresses the players once they are all in the hotel lobby. “Get some rest. Meet here in the lobby at 10am. We’ll do some light training and then I want you all to take the afternoon and evening off to rest for the game.” 

The players are assigned their rooms and make their way to them. Tobin and Allie are together, as usual. Kling is paired with Amandine, and Christen with Lindsey.

When she enters her and Lindsey’s room, Christen collapses onto the nearest bed. 

“Tired?” Lindsey says with a chuckle. 

Christen nods with a smile and spreads herself over the bed, face up.

“Not to disturb your peace, but word on the street is that you and Heath are a thing now. Is that true?” Lindsey asks with a grin while setting down her duffel bag.

“Uh,” Christen thinks for a moment, debating whether or not to disclose. “Yeah, we went out for the first time a few days ago.”

Lindsey’s grin widens. “Ahh, Press has got herself a girlfriend,” she teases, poking Christen in the ribcage. 

Christen laughs and rolls her eyes.

* * *

The next day after practice, Tobin and Christen are walking back to the hotel from the field when Tobin gets a text.

_Ash:_ _Hey Baller. You and Chris down for a double date tonight? 7 @ this new Tapas place downtown?_

Tobin reads the text and smiles. 

“Who’s it from?” Christen asks curiously.

“Ash,” Tobin replies, turning toward the forward. “She invited us on a double date with her and Ali tonight.”

“Oh,” Christen says, surprised. “Do you want to go? It would be nice to see them before the game.”

“Yeah, let’s do it,” Tobin confirms. “Although I don’t know how they found out we were dating. You didn’t say anything, did you?” the midfielder asks hesitantly.

“No, but they probably just heard from Kling or Allie,” Christen offers with a shrug.

Tobin nods and texts Ash back.

_Tobin: Sounds good. Just send the address._

_Ash: Al and I can just pick you guys up from the hotel around 6:45._

_Tobin: Oh ok. Thanks_

_Ash: You got it. Excited to see you two :)_

_Tobin: Me too_

* * *

Later that evening, Tobin and Allie are sitting on Tobin’s bed watching a match between Arsenal and Chelsea on the TV when there’s a knock at the door. Allie gets up to answer it and opens the door to find Christen in a form-fitting white dress and black heels. 

“Hey Al, is Tobin here? We’re supposed to be downstairs to meet Ali and Ash in 5 minutes,” Christen says with a grin upon seeing Allie’s impressed expression. 

“Yeah. We were just watching some football. You look hot!” Allie exclaims. “Tobin! Your girlfriend’s here!” Allie yells back into the room.

Tobin immediately jumps up from the bed wide-eyed and frazzled. 

“Oh shit! I didn’t realize what time it is,” she stammers as she frantically changes out of her Nike training pants and t shirt into a pair of blue jean shorts, flip flops, and a white flannel over a grey tank top. 

While Tobin changes, Christen can’t help but smile to herself. She thinks it’s cute when Tobin gets frazzled because she’s been so caught up in the moment. 

“Okay, I’m ready,” Tobin says with a sigh as she runs a hand through her light brown hair and looks forward at Christen. 

“Have fun you two,” Allie says with a smile.

“Thanks, have a good night, Al,” Tobin says as she gives her best friend a squeeze on the shoulder. 

“Bye Allie,” Christen adds as she and Tobin head out the door.

* * *

At 7:15, Ali, Ashlyn, Tobin, and Christen are led by a hostess to a booth inside the restaurant. 

“It’s so nice to see you guys,” Christen says as she slides into the booth next to Tobin. 

“Yeah, I’m glad this worked out,” Ali responds with a smile. 

“So when did this start?” Ash asks bluntly, indicating the two women seated across from her.

Tobin and Christen look at each other with grins on their faces. 

“Just a few days ago,” Tobin answers while scratching the back of her neck. “We went out Friday night for the first time.”

“I’m so happy for you guys!” Ali exclaims excitedly. 

Christen smiles shyly. “So, it must be nice for you two to finally be in the same city again, huh?” she asks, partly out of interest and partly to get the attention away from herself. 

“Definitely,” Ash says earnestly. “Living with this girl is a dream come true,” she says as she leans over and kisses Ali on the cheek. 

Tobin turns toward Christen and mutters, loud enough for Ali and Ash to hear, “We gotta up our game. They’re way too cute.” 

All three of them laugh at this and Christen subtly places her hand on Tobin’s thigh, rubbing it lightly. Tobin blushes and covers Christen’s hand with her own.

* * *

After dinner, Ali and Ash drop Tobin and Christen back at their hotel.

“Thanks for the ride!” Tobin shouts as the car pulls away. 

“See you tomorrow!” Ali yells back.

 

“That was nice,” Christen says as she and Tobin walk through the hotel lobby.

“Yeah, it was,” Tobin agrees with a smile, reaching for Christen’s hand and interweaving their fingers.

Christen grins at this small gesture and squeezes Tobin’s hand. She can already feel their relationship developing into something special. 

“Are you headed back to your room?” Tobin asks casually as they step into an elevator.

“I was planning on it. I’m pretty tired,” Christen replies with a yawn. “You can come over if you want, though. Linds texted and said she’s in Sonnett’s room right now.” 

“That’s okay, I’ll let you get some rest,” Tobin says with a half smile as they reach their floor. 

Christen tries to hide a look of dejection by returning the half smile. They reach Tobin’s room first and both stop outside the door. There’s silence for a moment, and then Tobin looks into Christen’s green eyes and softly brushes the forward’s hair behind her ear, keeping her hand on her face. Christen closes her eyes and leans into Tobin’s touch. Then Tobin leans in and kisses Christen, placing her lower lip between her girlfriend’s lips. Christen kisses back slowly but passionately, fully opening herself up to the woman in front of her.

After a few moments, they break the kiss and slowly pull away from each other. 

“Whoa,” Tobin mutters in a raspy tone with a smile.

“I know,” Christen replies in awe.

“Well, goodnight, Chris,” Tobin whispers as she opens her door.

“Night, Tobin,” Christen returns with a sparkle in her eye.

* * *

It’s the sixtieth minute in the match between Orlando and Portland the next day. Tobin and Allie had each scored early in the first half, but a goal by Steph Catley in the 47th minute and now potential for a dangerous free kick for the Pride has the Thorns on their toes. Tobin just got called for a foul against Alex Morgan just outside the 18. 

“Aw, come on ref! You know that was a clean tackle,” Tobin shouts, throwing her arm in the air.

The official shakes her head and shows Tobin a yellow card. There’s a mixture of boos and cheers from the crowd. Tobin stomps away as Krieger sets herself up to take the free kick. 

Tobin positions herself in the penalty area in front of Alex, who, right before the whistle initiating the free kick is blown, whispers in Tobin’s ear:

“Sorry, Tobs. That was clean.” 

The whistle blows and Ali takes a chance on the free kick and fires it straight at the goal, noticing a tiny gap in the defense. Michelle Betos leaps up and to her left but her gloves only graze the ball as it sinks into the back of the net by the near post. Ali makes a fist and runs to her teammates as the crowd erupts.

Tobin tosses her head back and runs her hands over her head in frustration while the rest of her team reacts in a similar fashion. On her way to midfield, Christen gives Tobin a sympathetic smile and a short squeeze on the shoulder. At her girlfriend’s touch, Tobin eases up a bit and trots behind Christen to her position. 

 

Play continues, and for the next thirty minutes, the Thorns lead possession by a narrow margin, but are unlucky with the results of their many shots. Alex gets a good look in the 85th minute and almost seals the deal for Orlando, but a beautiful stop from Betos maintains the score. 

In the second minute of stoppage time, Orlando turns the ball over to Horan near midfield, who sees an open space in front of her and sprints forward. On her left, Tobin is sprinting with her. On her right, Christen is doing the same. Lindsey makes eye contact with Tobin who slows her run and signals to Christen. Then Lindsey beats two defenders and slides a through ball to Christen who takes two touches and fires a shot past Ashlyn into the bottom right corner of the net, securing the 3-2 win for Portland. Christen beams and runs over to hug Lindsey. Tobin and the rest of the team join in as the final whistle blows.

 

As she walks off the field with her teammates, Tobin is stopped by a reporter. 

“Tobin, do you mind answering a few questions about the match?” the reporter asks.

“Uh yeah, sure. Make it quick, though,” Tobin responds with a nod, glancing at the rest of her team as they head to the locker room. 

“Sure thing. So, were you expecting that outcome today?” the woman asks. 

“I definitely wanted to win, but that was a little close for comfort,” Tobin answers with a subdued laugh.

“What’s it like to have Christen Press on your team this season? She’s already scored twice in two games with Portland, that must be nice to have” the reporter prompts with a grin. 

“It’s great to have Press on the Thorns,” Tobin says with a contained smile. “She basically won our last two games for us, and she is a super hard worker.”

“That’s great, Tobin. Just one more fun question,” the reporter declares with an exaggerated smile. “It’s hard for me to believe that someone like you is single, so I have to ask. Is there anyone special in your life right now? Are you seeing anybody?”

Tobin groans internally and sighs. “Well, uh, I don’t really get what that has to do with soccer…No, there’s no one else right now. Just me.”

“Well okay, thank you so much for your time, Tobin,” the reporter says, slightly disappointed. 

“You’re welcome,” Tobin says, clenching her jaw.

* * *

Back at the hotel later that night, Tobin is lying in bed reading and Allie is in the shower when a someone bangs on the door. Startled, Tobin pops out of bed and walks to the door and opens it. 

“Oh, hey Chris,” Tobin starts before Christen barges into the room and sits down on Tobin’s bed. 

“Babe, what’s wrong?” Tobin asks, concerned. 

“I heard your post-game interview today,” Christen mentions coldly. 

Tobin takes a deep breath and lowers her gaze to the floor. 

“There’s no one else right now? Really?” Christen says with a raised voice, standing up and pacing the room.

“No, no, of course there is. I’m sorry Chris, I just froze up when she asked. I mean, how the hell was I supposed to see that coming from a sports reporter?” Tobin stammers half apologetically, half annoyed at the reporter. 

“I know. I just wish you had been honest. You could’ve just said yes. You didn’t need to say anything about _us_ ,” Christen says in a slightly calmer tone, more hurt than angry.

“You’re right. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll make it up to you,” Tobin whispers as she approaches Christen from behind and wraps her arms around the forward’s waist, softly kissing her neck. 


	5. I Love You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took a bit longer! I've been kinda busy. Hope you like it. It's one of my favorites so far :)

A couple days later, once the team has arrived back in Portland, Christen is in her bed watching TV. As she’s about to start her third episode of Scandal for the day, Kling barges into the room.

“Okay, time for an intervention, Press,” Kling declares, taking the laptop out of Christen’s hands and placing it on the bedside table. 

“Hey, I was using that!” Christen whines. “And what are you talking about? I don’t need an intervention for anything.” 

“Christen, it’s 1pm. You’ve been sitting in bed awake for four hours. You never do that. Plus, it’s our day off. Are you and Tobin okay?” Kling asks with a concerned tone. 

“We’re fine, I’m just a little annoyed by what she told that reporter the other day,” Christen admits with a sigh. “I just wish she wouldn’t try to hide our relationship.”

Kling’s mouth curves into a smile.

“Why are you smiling?” Christen snaps.

“I take it you haven’t been on Instagram today?” Kling prompts, still smiling.

“No…why?” Christen asks with a frown. 

“Just check,” Kling says, patting Christen’s leg through the blankets as she stands up and exits the bedroom. 

Hesitantly, Christen unlocks her phone and opens Instagram. She sees a notification that someone tagged her in a photo. She clicks on the photo and her heart melts. Tobin posted a picture of herself hugging Christen from behind (both smiling from ear to ear) from their friend’s wedding a couple months earlier, with the caption: “So proud to call her my girlfriend.” Christen smiles and takes a deep breath. She’s surprised that Tobin used social media to reveal their relationship, but she’s happy that there’s nothing holding them back from moving forward now. 

 

As if on cue, Christen’s phone rings; it’s Tobin. 

“Hey,” Christen says softly as she answers the call.

“Hey Chris,” Tobin responds nervously. “Did you see the picture?”

“Yeah, just now,” Christen answers with a smile. “I’m surprised.”

“I just wanted to show you that the last thing I’m trying to do is hide this, us, from anybody. I am so happy and lucky to have you as my girl, Christen,” Tobin says earnestly. 

“I’m just as lucky,” Christen replies softly. “Do you want to come over? I miss you.”

Tobin bites her lip. “I can’t right now, unfortunately. I’m running some errands downtown. Are you doing anything tonight though? How does a movie night at my place sound? Allie’s with Bati tonight so we’d have some time alone.” Tobin suggests seductively.

Christen inhales sharply and grins to herself. “That sounds perfect.”

“Great,” Tobin says with a smile. “Wanna come over around 8?” 

“Sure. Can’t wait to see you babe,” Christen adds giddily. 

“You too. Bye Chris.”

“Bye Tobin.”

 

After they hang up, Christen gets out of bed and prances into the kitchen where Kling is making a smoothie. 

“You two make up?” Kling asks with a grin as she turns her head toward Christen.

“I think so,” Christen says happily as she comes up behind her friend and hugs her, kissing the defender playfully on the cheek. 

“What was that for?” Kling laughs, pouring the smoothie into two glasses and bringing them over to the kitchen table. 

“I’ve just realized that I’m in one of the best places I’ve ever been in my life right now, and I want to share that with my favorite left back,” Christen smiles at Kling as they both sit down at the table. 

“I’m happy that you’re so happy, Press,” Kling returns the smile. “So, what did you and Tobin talk about? Did you see her picture?”

“Yeah, I did,” Christen answers, shaking her head. “We’re all good now. We’re gonna watch a movie at her apartment tonight around 8.”

“I wonder how much of the movie will actually get watched,” Kling jokes with a wink. 

“Ha ha, very funny,” Christen remarks sarcastically, although she secretly has the same question.

* * *

Tobin roams the streets of downtown Portland aimlessly after shopping for groceries and getting her car fixed after putting off an oil change for six months.

“Oh my god, that’s Tobin Heath,” Tobin hears a girl whisper excitedly to her friend as Tobin walks past. Tobin stops and turns around, walking up to the two young girls. 

“Could—could we get a picture with you?” one of the girls asks nervously.

“Of course,” Tobin replies, smiling at the youthful excitement in front of her. 

Tobin stands next to the girls as one of them takes a selfie and then steps back.

“Oh my god, thank you so much, Tobin,” the girls exclaim. “I hope we can see you play in person sometime!”

“Have you guys not been to a game?” Tobin asks with a raised eyebrow.

The girls shake their heads glumly. 

Tobin contemplates for a moment and then reaches into her back pocket and pulls out two field seats for the Thorns’s next home game against the Flash and hands one to each girl.

“Here, take these,” Tobin says with a smile. “Front row tickets for next week’s game. Make sure to say hi.”

The girls are speechless and barely get out a “thank you” as Tobin continues down the street toward her car, smiling all the way there.

* * *

Tobin gets home around 3 and decides to go for a run along the river. As she jogs along the path, absorbed in the tranquil music coming through her earbuds, she accidentally bumps into another runner. 

“Whoa, sorry,” Tobin stutters, startled. Then she looks up and laughs. 

“You should really watch where you’re going, Heath,” Mark, her coach, says with a chuckle. 

“Hey, it’s good to see you Mark,” Tobin says with a grin, “It’s been too long. A whole day without practice can really feel like a long time.”

“Please. You don’t take a rest day anyway,” Mark scoffs, pointing out the fact that Tobin is on a run on her day off. 

“Touché,” Tobin concedes. 

“I’ll let you get back to your jog, Tobin. See you tomorrow at practice,” Mark waves as he jogs off in the opposite direction. 

“See ya Mark!”

 

Tobin smiles and shakes her head, puts her earbuds back in and resumes her workout. She runs three more miles and then heads back to her apartment to shower and get ready before Christen gets there.

* * *

Right at 8, there's a knock at Tobin’s door. The midfielder pops up from the couch, where she’s been watching SVU, and gives herself a once-over in the mirror before opening the door to her girlfriend. 

“Hey beautiful,” Tobin says with a warm smile as she welcomes Christen with a kiss on the cheek. 

Christen’s lips curve upward as she enters the apartment, following Tobin to the couch. 

“I know we’ve seen each other since Orlando, but that stupid interview threw everything off. I’ve missed you, babe,” Tobin confesses openly as she and Christen sit facing each other on the couch. 

Christen stretches out her legs in front of her and can’t help but blush hearing Tobin call her babe. It’s still a new feeling, and the excitement she feels whenever she’s with her girlfriend makes her feel like a kid again. 

“I’ve missed you too, Tobs.”

Tobin smiles and repositions herself so that she’s lying face up with her head on Christen’s thighs. Christen begins stroking Tobin’s hair.

“How was your day?” she asks, genuinely interested in Tobin’s response.

“Really great,” Tobin answers with a grin. “A bunch of nice little things happened.”

“Like what?” Christen asks sweetly.

“I saw Mark while I was running along the river,” Tobin snickers. “And I bumped into a couple fans downtown and gave them tickets to next week’s game. The look in their eyes—it was pretty cool to be able to make those kids so happy,” Tobin recounts pleasantly. 

Christen continues running her fingers through Tobin’s long brown hair and realizes just how happy she is to be in this moment. The more she learns about what makes Tobin tick, the more she falls for the girl. 

“That’s really sweet,” Christen responds. 

“Want to start a movie?” Tobin asks, moving back to a sitting position. 

“Sure. Which one?”

“I was thinking of this classic,” Tobin says eagerly, pulling out _Bend It Like Beckham_. 

Christen laughs. “Of course you would pick that.”

“What can I say?” Tobin asks rhetorically, sliding in the DVD. “I’m a footballer.”

Christen smiles and rolls her eyes. 

Tobin walks over to the kitchen and opens the freezer, taking out a pint of Haagen-Dazs ice cream. She gets two spoons and returns to the couch. 

“Here,” Tobin says, handing Christen one of the spoons and the pint. 

“Coffee, my favorite!” Christen exclaims. “Thanks Tobin.”

“My pleasure,” Tobin smiles. 

The two of them curl up next to each other and Tobin starts the movie.

 

About halfway through the movie, the pint of ice cream is empty and Christen’s head is on Tobin’s shoulder, and Tobin’s hand is tracing circles on Christen’s thigh. Tobin turns her head and looks at Christen, who returns the gaze. They hold their eye contact for a moment and then Tobin leans forward and kisses Christen’s lips, tasting the coffee. Christen kisses back and places one hand on Tobin’s cheek and the other on her waist. Tobin places an arm around Christen’s torso and uses the other to slowly guide Christen’s back down onto the couch. 

The kissing heats up as both women slide their hands over each other’s bodies, feeling their partner. After a couple minutes, Tobin pauses and removes her shirt, exposing her toned stomach and back. 

“Is this okay?” Tobin asks carefully. 

Christen smiles and nods, pulling Tobin back on top of her. 

Tobin moans softly as Christen kisses her neck while tracing the muscles of her abdomen. Tobin starts to lift Christen’s tank top over her head, silently asking for permission first. 

“Wait,” Christen mutters as Tobin tosses her shirt on the floor. 

“Too fast?” Tobin asks, concerned. 

Christen shakes her head and bites her lip. “No, I just want our first time to be in a bed.”

Tobin’s eyelids flutter and she smiles. “Of course, beautiful.” 

Tobin takes Christen’s hand and leads her to her bedroom. She closes the door softly and gently leads Christen down onto the bed, kissing every inch of the forward from her stomach to her mouth.

“I love you Tobin,” Christen sputters.

Tobin looks up into Christen’s green eyes and smiles. “I love you too, Christen.”

With that, the midfielder leans back down and kisses her girlfriend on the lips again, knowing that despite being an Olympic gold medalist and World Cup Champion, she has never been this happy before. 


	6. Fast Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow okay sorry this took FOREVER. I have been super busy with school lately, but I promise I will finish this fic. Please let me know how you like this chapter in the comments :)

**One year later…**

It’s 8:30am on Friday, July 27th, 2018. Tobin and Christen are asleep in bed in their house that they just bought in Northwest Portland. 

Tobin’s eyes flutter open and she finds herself staring at the beautiful dark hair of her girlfriend. She smiles to herself. It’s only been two weeks since she and Christen moved into their home, and waking up next to Christen every day has made Tobin happier than ever. 

Quietly, Tobin gets out of bed and slides on a pair of slippers and makes her way to the kitchen. She starts a pot of coffee and gets out ingredients to make omelets. 

After fifteen minutes of struggling to produce two acceptable greek omelets, Tobin brings the two plates into her and Christen’s bedroom and sets them on the bedside table. 

“Wake up, babe,” Tobin whispers into Christen’s ear as she kisses her cheek.

Christen opens her eyes and smiles into Tobin’s deep brown ones. 

“Good morning sunshine,” Christen says happily, sitting upright. 

“Morning beautiful,” Tobin returns with a smile. “I made you breakfast.”

“You didn’t have to do that!” Christen exclaims with a light smack on Tobin’s arm.

“I wanted to,” Tobin declares. “Here you go.” She hands Christen the plate and a fork and knife. 

Christen rubs her eyes and mouthes a thank you.

“I’ll bring you some coffee,” Tobin says, noticing Christen’s weariness.

As Tobin leaves the room to get the coffee, Christen shouts after her, “Nice ass!”

Tobin shakes her head and laughs, pouring a cup of coffee for Christen and returning to the room. Christen reaches for the mug but Tobin moves it slightly out of reach, taking the plate from the bed and setting it on the table as well. 

“That’ll have to wait a minute actually,” Tobin says mischievously, climbing on the bed and straddling Christen. She lowers herself so that she is on top of the forward, and kisses Christen on the lips. Christen kisses back and then abruptly rolls both of them over so that she is on top of Tobin. Breaking the kiss, Christen lifts herself up so that her legs are spread around Tobin’s torso and her hands are wrapped around Tobin’s wrists.

“Do you have any idea how sexy you look right now?” Tobin asks with a lustful grin.

“Yeah,” Christen replies smugly, eliciting a chuckle from Tobin. “You better step up your game, Heath.”

“Oh, challenge accepted babe,” Tobin says with a wink and takes her shirt off, exposing arguably the best midsection in women’s soccer. 

Christen bites her lip and slowly licks the center line of Tobin’s stomach from just above the hip all the way to right under the midfielder’s breasts. 

Tobin closes her eyes and feels her muscles contract at the contact of Christen’s tongue.

“Oh my god I love you,” Tobin stammers with a raspy voice. 

“Love you too,” Christen echoes with a smirk as she jumps off of Tobin and gets off the bed.

“What? Not fair,” Tobin whines, disappointed. “Is this what I get for expressing my love to you?”

Christen laughs and kisses Tobin’s forehead. “No, I’ll give you your present tonight,” Christen teases. “Right now we have to get ready for practice.”

Tobin groans and gets out of the bed, nibbling at the omelet she made.

* * *

 Later that morning, Tobin and Christen walk through NW Portland to Providence Park, Tobin’s right arm draped over Christen’s shoulders, Christen’s right hand intertwined with Tobin’s.

“Hey, what do you think about inviting the team over for a little get-together tonight?” Tobin asks, moving her eyebrows up and down. 

“That would be fun,” Christen replies with a smile. “We finally have everything settled. It would be nice to celebrate.”

Tobin grins and leans over and lightly kisses Christen’s lips. 

“Have I told you I love you today?” Christen contemplates for a moment. 

“I don’t think so.” Tobin replies nonchalantly. 

“That’s just tragic,” Christen says with mock disgust. “I love you Tobin.” She says this with a squeeze of the midfielder’s hand, unable to contain a smile. 

Tobin grins and leans into her girlfriend.

* * *

 “Got any plans tonight?” Lindsey asks Tobin as the team changes in the locker room after practice. 

“Actually, Chris and I were gonna see if the team wanted to come over to our place for a party tonight,” Tobin answers, glancing at Lindsey while drying her wet hair. “You free?”

“Yeah, that sounds awesome!” Lindsey exclaims, throwing on a clean t-shirt. “You should tell the girls.”

Tobin nods in agreement.

“Yo, can I get everybody’s attention for a sec?” Tobin pipes up, standing on top of a bench. Everyone turns toward her.

“So,” she glances at Christen on the other side of the locker room. “Chris and I wanted to invite you all over to our new house for a party tonight. I know it’s kinda last-minute, but if you’re free we’d love to have you guys. Address is 2741 NW Westover Rd. Anytime from 8 on is good.”

There are lots of thumbs up and smiles in response.

“Sweet, I’ll be there,” Michelle says, patting Tobin on the back on her way out of the locker room. 

“Wouldn’t miss it, Harry,” Allie smirks, poking her other half in the ribs. 

Several other teammates come up to say they’ll be there, and then Tobin grabs her gear and walks over to her girlfriend, who’s waiting by the door. 

“Thanks for waiting,” Tobin acknowledges. 

“Of course,” Christen smiles, wrapping her arm around Tobin’s waist.

* * *

 That night, Tobin and Christen get ready for their party. They spend the evening listening to music, cleaning, and shopping for snacks and drinks. At about 7:30, once the house is nicely cleaned and hors d’oeuvres are set out, Christen sneaks up behind Tobin as she’s closing the refrigerator and grabs her waist, spinning Tobin around.

“Well hello,” Tobin reacts seductively. 

“Come,” Christen instructs, leading Tobin by the hand toward their bedroom. 

“Chris…” Tobin treads curiously. “You know the team will be here soon.”

“I know, which is why I want to make sure I’m in as good of a mood as possible when they arrive,” Christen replies with a wink as she closes the bedroom door behind them. 

Tobin takes a deep breath and chuckles. “You’re just lucky you look so goddamn beautiful right now.”

With that, Christen lays Tobin down on the bed and begins taking off her own oversized t-shirt. 

“Let me help you with that,” Tobin says in her raspy voice, lifting her upper body up off the bed and slowly lifting Christen’s shirt over her head and placing a kiss on the forward’s chapped lips. 

Christen tosses her shirt to the floor and leans into the kiss, pushing Tobin back down onto the bed. Their two bodies connect artfully, like puzzle pieces finally finding their match. Christen takes off Tobin’s tank top, exposing a bright red scratch across her right oblique. 

“Babe, when did you get this?” Christen asks with concern as she softly kisses the wounded area. 

“Oh, that’s from practice,” Tobin answers with a grin. “I think Amandine forgot to trim her nails.” 

Christen scowls. “Ouch.”

“It’s fine,” Tobin rushes. “Now where were we?” she brings Christen back down on top of her and kisses along the forward’s neck, eliciting a soft moan from Christen.

Tobin starts moving her kisses lower down Christen’s body, passing over her chest, ribcage, and pausing at the top of Christen’s jean shorts before flipping their positions. As she begins taking off Christen’s shorts, and then underwear, Christen removes her bra, leaving her entire body bare. Tobin places a soft kiss on Christen’s hipbone and sits up and slowly moves her gaze up Christen’s entire body, from her legs to her face. 

They make eye contact and Tobin opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. She stutters and finally she musters, “I didn’t think it was possible to be this in love with someone.” Christen smiles and wraps her arms around Tobin’s neck, bringing her body down on top of hers, interlocking their lips. 

Tobin takes off her own bra as Christen removes her shorts and underwear for her so that nothing separates their skin. For the next twenty minutes, they make love, each selflessly meeting the desires of the other. And then there’s a knock at the door.

* * *

 By 10:00, the party is in full swing. Almost everyone on the team ended up coming, leaving Tobin and Christen with a house full of twenty-something drunk soccer players. Well…mostly just leaving Tobin to deal. Christen is more blasted than Tobin’s ever seen her, much to the midfielder’s surprise. 

“Yoooooo,” Sonnett drones, stumbling toward Tobin and placing an arm around the midfielder’s shoulders. “This party is dope. Thanks for inviting us, Tobs.”

“I’m glad you could come,” Tobin says with a grin, chuckling at her drunk teammate. 

“Except!” Sonnett exclaims abruptly, pointing at Tobin, “There’s something wrong.”

“What’s that?” Tobin asks curiously, raising an eyebrow.

“You’re not drrrunk enough!” Sonnett replies with a huge grin, raising her cup of beer into the air.

Tobin laughs and walks out to the back porch to get some air. When she gets there, she notices Sinc standing by the railing, looking out at the beautiful lights of the city. 

“Hey,” Tobin greets, joining her captain.

“How’s it going, Tobin?” Sinc inquires.

“Going well, but I guess I’m just not totally feeling the crazy energy levels in there right now,” Tobin answers with a half smile. “How bout you?”

“Same here,” Sinc replies with a nod. “I love you all but getting drunk isn’t as fun as it used to be for me.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame you,” Tobin offers. “Hangovers are the worst.”

They are interrupted by loud footsteps on the porch.

“Uh Tobin,” Kling’s voice resonates from behind. “You might want to come here for a sec, Chris doesn’t look so good.”

With a look of concern on her face, Tobin nods to Sinc and follows Kling back into the house.

Kling leads Tobin into the kitchen, where a few players are gathered around Christen, who’s sitting on the floor clutching her head in her hands. Tobin makes her way in front of her girlfriend and asks the surrounding players what happened.

“She had a lot to drink,” says Lindsey. “She just kinda sank to the floor and has been like this for a few minutes.”

“Hey, babe, Chris, are you okay?” Tobin asks, kneeling down to face Christen. 

Christen glances at Tobin, mumbles something and then suddenly vomits all over the tile floor. 

“Okay,” Tobin says wide-eyed, popping up. “Kling, can you guys clean this up? Paper towels and stuff are in the cabinet under the sink. I’m gonna try to clean her up.”

“Of course,” Kling answers with concern. 

Tobin carefully slides her head under Christen’s arm and picks her up and takes her into the bathroom.

Once inside, Tobin closes the door and slowly sets Christen down in front of the toilet. Immediately, Christen throws up again. 

Tobin winces and rubs her girlfriend’s back. “It’s okay, babe. Get it out.”

For the next ten minutes, Christen heaves into the toilet while Tobin stands by. Finally, she stops and sits back against the bathroom wall.

Tobin wets a towel and gently cleans Christen’s face and hands and then sits down in front of her.

“What can I do for you?” Tobin asks, taking Christen’s hands in her own. 

“Can you take me to bed?” Christen stutters, looking up at Tobin’s eyes.

“Of course, baby,” Tobin replies, standing up and pulling Christen up with her.

Tobin leads Christen into their bedroom and closes the door. She sits Christen down on the bed and takes off her shoes, socks, shirt, and pants. She walks over to the dresser and grabs a t shirt and pair of pajama shorts and helps Christen put them on. 

Once Christen is cleaned up and dressed for bed, Tobin peels back the covers and tucks her girlfriend into bed, placing a kiss on her forehead. 

“I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” Tobin assures her with a smile, pushing the forward’s hair behind her ear. 

Christen nods and smiles, her eyes starting to close.

Tobin starts to head for the door and, just as she’s placing a hand on the doorframe, Christen rolls onto her side to go to sleep and mutters, “I love you Tobin. Maybe we can do this forever.”

Tobin turns her head around and smiles. “I love you too, Chris. Goodnight.”

She then leaves the room, closing the door behind her and returns to the party, unable to hide her smile.


End file.
